Cats Invited to Egyptian Exhibit for ‘Meowseum Nights’ in Shanghai

Of the many Egyptian deities, Bastet—the goddess of cats and daughter of the sun god Re—is one of the most recognizable. Her existence proves that felines were revered in Ancient Egypt. Thousands of years later, cats in China got the opportunity to see their royal history at the Shanghai Museum.

For the event—cleverly called “Meowseum Nights”— cat owners were invited to bring their feline friends to the ”On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt” exhibit of the Chinese museum. There, they could view Ancient Egyptian artifacts, including those recovered from Bastet’s temple in Saqqara.

Guests flocked to Meowseum Nights with their cats in tow. Though the event only lasted 10 nights, the museum sold 2200 tickets (for 200 cats and 2000 humans). 

Most house cats aren’t used to being in strange environments around unfamiliar cats and people. With this in mind, the Shanghai Museum took several safety precautions. Pets were required to come with vaccination documents and be in carriers or strollers at all times. Owners were also told to consider their animals’ personalities before booking Meowseum Night tickets. 

The institution had a veterinarian and a doctor on standby and an ambulance parked outside in case anything went wrong. The Shanghai Museum’s director, Chu Xiaobo, told The Art Newspaper, “We had over 80 people from animal welfare groups there to observe and give input.” Employees from the Shanghai Small Animal Protection Base were equipped with nets and thick gloves in case felines escaped. About five or six cats got loose every night, but none made it far before they were caught.

Though the Egyptian exhibit runs through August 17, 2025, the museum has no plans to continue Meowseum Nights after ending the program this fall. A similar initiative for dogs has yet to be announced.

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